Snakes

¨Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?¨  Matthew 23:33 (ASV)

In these latter verses of Matthew 23 Jesus really starts to show that He cannot tolerate anymore the people who do not listen to the messengers sent to bring us back to God.

We could conveniently try to say that Jesus was just mad at the Pharisees of His day.  It would be nice NOT to include any responsibility of our own or our failure to recognize who and when God was trying to get our attention.  However, the fact that Jesus mentions the blood of prophets spilled long before and that of all those yet to be sent, pretty much takes away our peacefulness of mind.

We should always be on our guard against over-confidence.  Extremely religious people throughout the ages have somehow gotten on the wrong track and held to their firm convictions instead of listening intently for the movements and voice of a constantly speaking God.

It is essential to remember that our walk with the Lord is dynamic and not static.  It is a relationship with a higher and more intelligent being then ourselves.  We can never have the final say, but rather lift up and learn from Him what His will is in every given situation by listening carefully to His will in the matter.  He can and does communicate His will to His true people if they will only pay attention.

Probably one of our biggest problems is that we think we know it all.  We have had the Scriptures for a long time and everything is written down there, no?  Of course, but without His speaking voice heard each day booming across our hearts, these words written down are merely commands and stories.  Without the movement and guidance of the Holy Spirit whispering to us the important secrets of the Heavenly Kingdom, we are mere robots following a preprogrammed monotony.

Dear Jesus, please come and speak to our hearts today.  We do not want to be guilty like some have done throughout the ages, of not listening when You speak.  Your voice is constantly going out into all of Your creation and Your people will rejoice when they hear it.  Show us when You send us a messenger.  Stop us in our tracks when we are confronted with a new instruction or message from You.  Let us yearn to hear those whisperings each and every day.  Let the desire overwhelm us to be the first to understand and react when Your words come to us.  Be please to continue to teach us in every moment from birth to eternity, all the amazing wonders of Your kingdom.  And guard us from being that generation which refused to listen.

Amen